Harry Potter 1. A Dream Come True

**Hey guys, **  
><strong>This is my first fan-fic so constructive criticism is always welcome. Thank you so much to anyone who reads this. <strong>  
><strong>There's a lot more chapters to come, so stay tuned!<br>You're amazing. 3**

I've been looking forward to this day for as long as I can remember. I've held back tears as I've watched my brothers Bill, Charlie, Percy and Ron all go off to Hogwarts without me. I miss them sometimes. In a strange way. As soon as they come home I wish they never did... But you never know you'd miss someone if they never left you, would you? Every holidays they'd come home with pocket's full of magical tricks and sweets. They'd tell tale's of Hogwarts and of the teachers and classes. I felt like I had to go to Hogwarts, there had to be a place I fitted in and this had to be it!

So, here I am at Kings Cross Station. All ready to go off to Hogwarts. I spent hours and hours choosing my outfit, doing my hair and making sure my robes fit. They're second hand... And so are my books. I'm a little embarrassed... Will anyone like me if I'm wearing tattered old robes? If I'm reading battered old books? I don't know but I guess I'll have to wait and see.

Mum's rushing us, she's always stressing about missing the train even though the boys have never missed it. We all went through the barrier, I went first. As Ron and Percy went to greet there friends I almost felt like crying. There were so many emotions racing through my body. Fear of not making friends or fitting in, anxious to get on to the train, happiness that I'm not being left behind, jealous that Ron and Percy already have friends and disbelief that my dream is finally coming true.

Kissing mum and dad goodbye was hard. Even though this is what I've wanted for so long this will be the longest I've ever spent away from them. But I managed to evade the tears for the moment. It will all be worth it to go to Hogwarts and learn how to do proper spells and potions.

I took a deep breath. I breathed out. Then I got onto the great, red steam train. The inside was a lot bigger than I expected though I think it was done using magic. I looked around for a place to sit though most compartments seemed like they were full of older students. One of them bumped into me.

"What are you doing here, midget?" said a boy with dark eyes and blonde hair,

"Huh?" was the only sound that managed to escape my quivering lips,

"Little kids stay up the front of the train" he continued, as if this fact should have been obvious.

I almost ran to the front of the train, nearly in tears. I felt so embarrassed, it just seemed so stupid. Of course they'd want the first years in the front of the train. I wiped my eyes and took a few seconds to calm down, the last thing I wanted now were people asking if I'd been crying.

I looked into the compartments as I passed them and finally I found a compartment that was empty but for one student. I nervously opened the door and asked,

"Is this seat taken?" my voice faltered slightly

"Of course not" said a girl with huge blue eyes and long blonde hair.

"I'm Luna Lovegood, you might have heard of my father, Xenophilius?" she asked with a friendly smile lighting up her face.

"No, I'm afraid I haven't, sorry" I replied.

"Oh no, not at all. He's the editor of the Quibbler" the girl continued.

"The Quibbler" I said, for this was a name I recognised, "my father reads that magazine, it has some... Interesting articles". The Quibbler is renowned for being quite an unusual magazine and, in all honesty Dad only reads it for a laugh and the occasional stories about muggles and their behaviour (Dad's obsessed with muggles).

The girl then said, "Yes, father tries his best to make his writing unique".

We went on to talk about our lives, parents and what houses we thought we'd end up in. The girl said she thought she'd be in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. She considered herself to be brave and a bit of a nerd, but not hard-working enough for Hufflepuff or Cunning enough for Slytherin. I told her about how my whole family had been in Gryffindor. I hope I'm in Gryffindor because I don't want to disappoint them... I'm scared I'll end up in Slytherin.

Then, sometime later, after we'd changed into our school robes the train came to a sudden stop. I was so nervous. I didn't want to leave the safety and confinement of the compartment and I didn't want to leave Ulna. I liked her, quite a lot for someone I didn't know very well. I took a deep breath, which I do whenever I'm nervous or scared or even angry. I waited a few minutes and then I stepped out of the compartment.

The night was cool, the breeze flipped my hair about. I looked around for a while, not knowing what to do. Until I heard "firs' years, firs' years over 'ere". I walked towards the voice and saw a huge man. He had a very bushy beard and his hair that was a tangled mess of mane. He wore a huge coat and very thick trousers. It was quite intimidating having him towering over me.

When he said, "Alrigh', every find a partner" I panicked for a moment and looked for a familiar face. I caught Luna's eye and immediately felt some relief. I breathed out slowly as she walked confidently toward me. "You know how we're getting to Hogwarts then?" She said curiously.  
>"Actually, yeah. My big brother Charlie told me we go by boat, but the big kids take carriages up to the castle"<br>"I guess that's why he wants pairs"  
>"Huh?" I replied and the girl pointed ahead to the lake which I'd failed to notice before. There were many boats in it, all with oars.<p>

Everybody found a partner, except for one boy, he was small and had a camera slung around his neck which he held onto so tight it looked as though he was never going to let go. The boy had to squeeze into a boat with Hagrid. I'm not surprised that the boy found this difficult, Hagrid was at leat 7 ft. tall and 4 ft. wide, maybe even more than that. The boats were very tiny but Luna and I fitted quite comfortably.

We weren't rowing for long when we heard a familiar voice call out, "Ye'll get yer firs' vew o' Hogwarts in a mo". Every head looked up in anticipation and as we went round a large bend every mouth opened in awe. It was the most beautiful building I'd ever seen. So tall, with it's towers and so bright with it's windows. I looked up at it and wondered if maybe, just maybe this could be a place where I fitted in. A place where I shined.

As we reached the bank of the river and everybody scrambled to get out of their boats. We were all a little tired from rowing and Luna and I were a bit wet because there were two boys who had splashed us. I guess because... Well, you could call Luna strange. She has weird earrings like radishes and a cork necklace and I guess because of my red hair and second hand robes I probably look a bit out of place too. I hope I get sorted into the same house as Luna.

We made our ascent up to the castle and we're greeted by a very strict looking old lady. She was thin and had her hair up in a bun that was so tight it looked like it might rip her hair out of her head. She had kind eyes though, I can always judge people by there eyes. She told us to line up, in no particular order and that's what we did. Then, she introduced herself as Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor house.

I was shivering, I didn't know if this was from the cold, the anticipation or fear. Luna touched my shoulder and I immediately felt better knowing she was there. I decided that this girl was going to be my best friend.

As I walked up the stairs I felt a million emotions rush through my body, but as soon as I took the first step inside I knew that this was where I belonged. I let a sigh escape my lips and a smile dance it's way across my face. My dream had finally come true.


	2. The Sorting

The Great Hall was packed with first-years. We were all just as nervous as each other, I think. One boy, the same one that had been in the boat with Hagrid, looked really pale. Professor McGonagall then told us that the rest of the school was ready for us to be sorted. I was so scared.

I didn't want to end up in Slytherin, or even Hufflepuff. Ravenclaw wouldn't be so bad but my whole family had been in Gryffindor... If I'm not then what does that say about me? It's just one more thing for my brothers to tease me about, just another way that I'm different. I didn't even want to imagine the things they'd say to me. I felt like throwing up. Instead and not for the first time this evening, I took another deep breath in and exhaled slowly. I walked forward with the rest of the group, and lined up in front of the sorting hat that I'd heard so much about.

The hat went through so many names. One thing about being a Weasley is that you never get called first for anything alphabetical. This can be a good thing or a bad thing, but at this point I just wanted to get it over and done with. I watched and waited as the boy I saw before, who didn't have a rowing partner was sorted into Ravenclaw. His name was Collin Creevey.

Then Luna's name was called, she left my side and made her way up to the sorting hat. Professor McGonagall put it on her head and after some deliberation it shouted RAVENCLAW! My heart sunk slightly. I didn't want to be in Ravenclaw, but I wanted to be with Luna so badly. I felt so secure around her.

I watched more and more people get sorted until finally my name was called. I felt all the blood drain out of my face, I couldn't feel my feet as I walked lifelessly towards the hat. What if I'm in Slytherin? I thought. Or worse, what if the sorting hat can't sort me? What if I just sit there like an idiot until they take the hat off of my head. I took yet another deep breath as they put the hat on my head.

The hat spoke to me, it said, "Another Weasley? You must be at least the tenth one to come through this school. Where shall I put you? You've got brains, oh yes. Plenty of ambition. You have a need to prove yourself better than the rest. You want to stand out... Well, I guess you'll do well in GRYFFINDOR!"

I was almost surprised. Stunned as I stumbled my way to the table of friendly faces, all cheering and clapping for me. I felt so relieved. Though I was dissapointed that I wasn't with Luna, but I'm sure I'll still see her.

I sat down next to my brother Ron. On Ron's left side sat the boy of my dreams. Harry James Potter. I don't know what it is about him, maybe it's the fame. But somehow I don't think so... There's something though, this look he gets just makes me crazy. The look in those brilliant green eyes, the way his dark hair sticks up at the back, his voice...

Ron broke my train of thought when he whispered in my ear, "Watch the plates". I did as he said and stared in awe as the empty plates suddenly filled themselves with food. Every dish you couyld imagine was there, turkey, chicken, steak, roasts... Everything! It's the only thing I've ever seen that tops mum's cooking.

It was so great eating dinner at Hogwarts, surrounded by my family and fellow house mates. I finally belonged. I was finally a student of Hogwarts, it's all I wanted for so long and now I was finally here amongst my brothers at school. It was brilliant. I didn't talk much though, I mainly just looked around and tried to keep my eyes off of Harry. I did catching him looking at me twice though. My heart skipped a beat and my stomach did backflips everytime I caught his eye.

Once dinner was finished the Gryffindor prefects had to show us how to get to our dormitories. Hogwarts is HUGE! Even bigger than I expected. Also, there're all these weird things like, the staircases sometimes move and the paintings all talk to you, they're much more interactive than most paintings. So are the ghosts. Except for the Bloody Barron, he scares me.

So finally we made it up to our dormitories. The girls who were in my dorm were Mary MacDonald and Victoria Frobisher. They were both nice and Mary was really pretty. We talked for a while about our families. Mary was a muggle born and Victoria was half-blood. She doesn't know her muggle father every well though.

We were all too excited to sleep and so, talkde late into the night about all sorts of things. We talked about classes, teachers, boys and just about everything else. I think it was about midnight or 1 o'clock when we finally laid down to sleep. I stayed awake to listen to the quiet breath of my room mates. It had been a long and stressful day and I was definitely ready to sleep. My eyes closed and I drifted through dreams of angry teachers, confusing lessons and Harry Potter.


	3. Theodore Nott

**Yes, I do know that Theodore Nott is in Harry's year in the books. I'm changing the story a little.**

My first day at Hogwarts was fairly uneventful. I ate breakfast in the Great Hall, same as everyday from now on. At breakfast Professor McGonagall handed out our time tables. She's the head of Gryffindor house. I had charms first with Professor Flitwick and the Ravenclaws. Bill had told me that he used to love charms class so I was pretty excited.

It was quite interesting. We studied the theory of levitation and practised a few wand movements. Flitwick says it will get more interesting the more we learn. We'll eventually be able to levitate solid objects and stuff.

Then I had potions with the Slytherins, taught by Professor Slughorn. Slughorn had a large round tummy and a big moustache. I expected the Slytherin's to be mean, but they were pretty quiet. A boy called Theodore Nott kept looking at me. I caught him staring about 5 times.

I passed Harry in the hall on my way to Herbology and I think I nearly fainted. His bright green eyes caught my dull brown ones for a split second. I was too embarrassed to acknowledge it. Though I did wonder if he kept looking even after I'd dropped my gaze.

Herbology with the Hufflepuffs was fine. Professor Sprout told us about all the different types of plants we would have to deal with. It seems interesting enough. Apparently there's not much theory to Herbology, which is good. I prefer hands on work.

For some strange reason I couldn't stop thinking about the boy who had been staring at me in potions. Theodore Nott. He had eyes that were so dark and mysterious. The way his hair fell in them sometimes and he'd have to flick it back out was just so cute. I replayed the image of him flashing me a sly grin the last time I caught him looking at me, he was very attractive.

Then I had lunch. I took a walk with Luna, we hadn't had a lot of time to hang out so we decided to eat outside. We sat down under the shade of a tall tree by the lake. We talked about our first days. A boy in her class had somehow managed to set his desk on fire in transfiguration. I told her about my feelings for Harry and about the way Theodore had looked at me. I told her how confused I was about it all. She wasn't much help.

"You're asking the wrong person, boys don't like me much" she said,  
>"Have you ever liked someone?" I asked<br>"Not really.."

I raised my eyebrow but she didn't elaborate so I let it drop. I figured if she wanted to tell me then she would. Then we talked a bit about who we hang out with. I told her I mainly talk to Mary and Vicky. She doesn't really hang out with anyone other than me. I don't know why but she says people find her weird. I don't care, I think she's brilliant.

After lunch I had double transfiguration. It was fun. McGonagall is strict but fair. We practiced wand movements and she told us that by the end of this term we will have successfully turned a match stick into a nail. Which is pretty exciting, I guess.

At Dinner I sat next to Ron but with Mary on my other side. Harry was, as usual, right next to Ron with there friend Hermione on the other side. Hermione's nice but we don't really talk. I tried all night to catch Harry's eye and succeeded a number of times. One he actually smiled at me. He has the cutest smile. It just makes me feel so happy to see him smile.

My first day of school was tiring. The school is so huge that Mary and I got lost about four times on our way to different classes. After walking up and down moving stair cases, trying to dodge Peeves the Poltergiest and having my brain crammed full of information I decided I'd have an early night.

I had the best dream. I dreamed that it was Harry and I under the same tree as Luna and I were today. We were just sitting and talking until the end of the dream when he kissed me. Then I woke up. It was the middle of the night. I sighed. I could hear the sounds of my room mates sleeping in their beds beside me. I knew it was all just a dream, but it seemed so real. I wondered if it would ever happen in real life. I doubted it.

I lay awake for awhile letting my thoughts wander, thinking of friends and school until I drifted back into sleep. I dreamt twice that night. My second dream was very strange.

Theodore Nott, the boy who had looked at me in potions was in my dream. We were dancing. he was in dress robes and I was wearing a pink dress like the one I wore to one of our cousins weddings once. It was weird. I know that Theodore is cute but I didn't think I felt anything for him. He couldn't take his eyes off me in potions but I didn't think that meant anything either.

I couldn't sleep for a few hours after that. All I could think about was Theodore and Harry. I couldn't work out what I felt for Thoedore at all. I mean, I don't really know him that well... But he's cute. He was nice to me in potions and barely took his eyes off me. Which is flattering. But Harry is just... Amazing. I've liked him ever since he came over to my house last summer.

Then I realised that the only thing keeping me awake was boys. I felt kind of dumb after that so I went to sleep, hoping I wouldn't have anymore stupid dreams. I try not to think about boys much. I'm not one of those girls who's had twelve different boyfriends, a new one every week. Girls like that are weird.

I felt so tired the next morning. That's what you get for staying up all night thinking about boys, I thought to myself as I attempted to drag myself out of bed. I made way down to the Great Hal for breakfast. When I looked at the time table and saw what we had first up my heart did a little backflip. Double potions.

Of course I was only thinking about one thing. Theodore Nott. What was it about this boy that made me think of him like that? I don't know, but today I planned to find out. I bolted down my toast and pumpkin juice and headed off for potions, with Mary and Vic.


	4. Call Me Theo

I entered the dungeon with butterflies in my stomach. I sat down with Mary on one side of me and then, something very unusual happened. A Slytherin crossed the room and sat on my right hand side. Slytherins never sit one the same side of the room as Gryffindors, it's an unspoken rule and it had just been broken. Ignoring the looks and reactions from his housemates Theodore turned to me.

"Ginny Weasley, right?" He questioned,  
>"That's me" I laughed, nervously and continued "You're Theodore Nott."<br>"Yeah, I am" He replied with a laugh that matched my own.  
>"So, um..." Oh, god... What was I suppose to say to this boy? I racked my brain for a conversation starter and came up with nothing.<br>"You play Quidditch", it was a statement not a question and this intrigued me.  
>"How do you know?" I asked<br>"Well... I've seen you fly" he said, hesitantly "I mean... I've seen you... With Angelina, you help her practice... I saw once... A couple times... You're a great flier..." He stuttered and mumbled his way through the sentence which made things more awkward.  
>He blushed pink and it was so cute.<br>"Well, thanks" I said. "Do you fly?"  
>"I do, next year I'll be trying out for seeker"<br>"Seeker, aye? Tough position. I prefer chaser myself"  
>"Sure, chasers have a lot less pressure put on them, even though it's an important position but there's less of a challenge"<br>"Less of a challenge, oh boy... Have you ever played chaser?"  
>"No..." He admitted,<br>"Well then you'd have no idea how challenging or otherwise the position is" I finished.  
>"I'm sorry" he said.<br>"Oh no, don't apologise!" I felt stupid, what was I thinking having a go at him over Quidditch positions, "It was my fault... I..."  
>"How about we agree that both seeker and chaser are difficult and important positions?"<br>"Sounds about right" I agreed.

I could feel my cheeks turning red as Slughorn asked us to open our books. Hey, at least I talked to him! I thought to myself. He sat next to me, so he obviously wanted to talk. Which means what? Does he like me? He complimented my flying. He'd been watching me help Angelina to practice. Wait... He'd been watching me? That sounded a little stalkerish to me...

I spent all of potions thinking about Theodore and why he'd sat next to me, why he'd been watching me. Could he possibly like me? For some reason, I doubted this. He was a slytherin, he was bound to have an ulterior motive. Yet, I found myself strangely attracted to him. His wide mysterious eyes and jet black hair... The way it fell into his eyes. I just couldn't stop thinking about him... Until...

"Ginny? Ginny?" Mary's voice saying my name broke my day dream,  
>I looked up to see Professor Slughorn in front of my desk a glare on his face as he stared me down.<br>"Ginevra Weasley", he said "Who invented the Wolfsbane potion and in what year?"  
>Theodore came to rescue when he whispered in my ear, "Damocles, 1982".<br>I repeated this answer to Professor Slughorn and his face turned to stunned for prescisley a second before he continued "That is correct, mind you pay attention next time Weasley or you might not be so lucky".

What was this boy doing to me? I couldn't even pay attenion in class anymore! But it was worth it to feel his hot breath on my neck as he whispered the answer in my ear. I fell back into fantasy.

I felt Mary shake my shoulder and I looked around to realise class was over. Theodore was no longer by my side. I was dissapointed because I thought he'd stay to talk some more after class.

As I walked out of the dungeon I saw him, waiting for me. Looking more like a male model than ever, leaning against a pillar. God, he was so attractive.

"Ginevra?" He laughed,  
>"Ugh, I hate when people call me by my first name" I replied.<br>"Well I think it's cute"  
>"Thanks..." I said, blushing feircer than ever.<br>"In all honesty I find you incredibly cute" he continued, "and I love your eyes".

I was dumb founded. My eyes? My plain, dull brown eyes? I thought again about Slytherin's and their ulterior motives.

"I find you quite attractive too" I responded, despite myself  
>"You do? I mean... Really, thank you" I could tell he was flustered and his skin was a brilliant shade of crimson. He continued saying, "but your eyes are the deepest chocolate brown, I feel like I could just fall into them".<p>

I had no idea what to say. He was being so flattering. This was confusing. I didn't know quite what to say, which was okay because he did the talking for me.

"So, would you fancy a walk around the grounds with me after dinner?"  
>"Oh, wow... I mean, yes, I'd love to" I was blushing too now, my face felt like it was going to burn off.<br>"Well... I'll uh.. See you then?"  
>"Yeah, bye Theodore"<br>"Call me Theo".  
>"Bye... Theo"<br>"See ya Gin".

He called me Gin. Theodore... Theo... Called me Gin. Nobody calls me Gin. It was strange and exciting. I resisted the urge to skip all the way to the Great Hall. I was happy. But did this mean that I liked him? Didn't I like Harry? I was confused, but I knew that Theo had something... Something that intrigued me and I was happy knowing that he was interested... In me. At least a little bit.

I told Mary and Vic. Vic squealed, "That's a date, Ginny!"  
>"It is not a date! We're just going for a walk"<br>"After dinner, in the moonlight" Mary added,  
>"So?" I replied<br>"That sounds like a date to me..." Mary finished.

A date? I mused to myself. Date. Is that really what this is? No... It's just a walk. But he did compliment me. A lot. He obviously wants to talk more. Maybe it is a date? I guess i'll have to wait and see... 


	5. First Date

Over the next few weeks I continued to spend a lot of my time with Theo. Walking around the grounds, talking, occasionally he'd hold my hand or kiss me but we hadn't said anything about a "relationship" as of yet.

I was also enjoying speaking openly with Harry for the first time. I hung out with Him, Ron and Hermione a lot nowadays. I'd sit in the common room with them most nights and we'd talk about all sorts of stuff. I discovered that I loved being Harry's friend. I think being just his friend is enough for me. I think.

I looked forward to every Wednesday, double potions. Of course, it wasn't the subject that excited me it was Theo. So, on your typical Wednesday I was sitting in potions listening to Slughorn talk about the Wolfsbane potion when Theo's hand touched mine under the desk as he slipped me a note.

The note read:

"Gin,

Would you like to come for another walk after dinner tonight? I promise to make it worth your while.

Theo. xx"

I caught his eye and I nodded. How could I not want to spend time with him? He was actually the sweetest guy, always complimenting me... And there was something about him that just... Intrigued me. He was the one person I couldn't figure out.

Most people are the same. You get a few "individuals" but their motives are usually the same basic stuff and their morals the same as any normal person. Everybody can be fitted into a stereotype. Except for Theo. He's different, and not in a bad way. He doesn't think the same as other people, I can tell. I've made it my goal to work out how his mind works but somehow I don't think i'll be able to figure it out. Which only makes him more exciting.

The day went agonisingly slow. When it was finally time for dinner I decided to sit with Luna as I hadn't talked to her much. I'd been hanging out with the trio (Harry, Ron and Hermione) and Mary and Vic for the last two days.

"Hey Ginny" she said, with a smile.

"Hey, how are you? Feels like we haven't talked in ages"

"I'm... Fine" she sighed, whilst her eyes told me that she was quite the opposite of fine.

Luna has amazing eyes, but they give her away everytime. She can practically tell her whole life story with them.

"What's wrong? Is it Alice and Zarina again?" I questioned

She nodded.

"God, I am going to slap Alice in the head. Zarina is a little idiot. She's only going along with it to stay "popular". Don't even worry about them, they're losers."

"I know I shouldn't let them get to me but... I mean, I know I'm weird and everything and I don't make any attempt to hide it... Does that mean I'm asking for it? Should I just... I dunno... Act normal?"

"You ARE normal! You're more normal than they are! You're yourself and that's what's normal for you. Never change who you are because you think that a couple of fake bitches might like you better. That's silly and you know it. You're an amazing person. You're beautiful and unique. Both of those girls know that. Alice is just... Plain and we all know Zarina goes along with whatever she says. I'm serious, they're not worth getting upset over. They're both jealous."

"You know what, Ginny? You're brilliant. You really are, i've never had anyway who's stood by me like this. EVeryone usually just gives up, I'm not exactly the easiest person to be friends with.."

"I wouldn't rather be friends with anyone else! We'll always stick up for each other, yeah?"

"Yeah, Ginny. Best friends forever."

"That sounds exactly right."

Now that Luna was feeling okay again we chatted about... Well, everything really. We have transiguration and DADA together, so we were talking about McGonnagals most recent homework.

"I can't believe she wants 2 rolls of parchment on levitation!" I exclaimed.

"I know, this is so unfair! How are we suppose to get three rolls of parchment out of a concept so simple?"

"No idea, but if anyone can do it, you can."

"I can try" she sighed, "Shall we spend tomorrow lunchtime in the library working on it?"

"Sounds like a plan."

Luna is great for motivation. She actually makes doing homework fun... Occasionally. Though I doubt anything could make this essay fun. Luna and I make a great team though and it's never one of us doing all the work and the other copyiny, things are always equal between us. That goes for everything, not just homework.

Dinner past quickly with Luna to distract me and before I knew it I was walking the grounds of Hogwarts hand-in-hand with the only boy who made me feel truly magical.

We stopped walking and he turned to me.

"Gin, you know I really like you..." He said, confident as ever.

I didn't reply, because it wasn't a question.

"And... Well..." He was sounding a lot less confident now.

I knew where this was going so I decided to help him get to the point.

"Are we suppose to be together now... Or something?" I asked,

"Depends on what you want" he replied, his eager eyes fixed upon mine.

"You know what I want"

"I want the same thing..."

"Well... I guess that's settled then?"

"Yeah, I guess it is" a smug little grin appeared on his face and it didn't dissapear for a long time afterwards.

We continued walking without a word. It was one of the few times i'd been perfectly content with silence. Being with him was comfortable and natural as breathing. There was no where I would rather be than by his side. That was when I realised I loved him.


	6. Love and Friendship

Over the next few weeks I continued to spend a lot of my time with Theo. Walking around the grounds, talking, occasionally he'd hold my hand or kiss me but we hadn't said anything about a "relationship" as of yet.

I was also enjoying speaking openly with Harry for the first time. I hung out with Him, Ron and Hermione a lot nowadays. I'd sit in the common room with them most nights and we'd talk about all sorts of stuff. I discovered that I loved being Harry's friend. I think being just his friend is enough for me. I think.

I looked forward to every Wednesday, double potions. Of course, it wasn't the subject that excited me it was Theo. So, on your typical Wednesday I was sitting in potions listening to Slughorn talk about the Wolfsbane potion when Theo's hand touched mine under the desk as he slipped me a note.

The note read:  
>"Gin,<br>Would you like to come for another walk after dinner tonight? I promise to make it worth your while.  
>Theo. xx"<p>

I caught his eye and I nodded. How could I not want to spend time with him? He was actually the sweetest guy, always complimenting me... And there was something about him that just... Intrigued me. He was the one person I couldn't figure out.

Most people are the same. You get a few "individuals" but their motives are usually the same basic stuff and their morals the same as any normal person. Everybody can be fitted into a stereotype. Except for Theo. He's different, and not in a bad way. He doesn't think the same as other people, I can tell. I've made it my goal to work out how his mind works but somehow I don't think i'll be able to figure it out. Which only makes him more exciting.

The day went agonisingly slow. When it was finally time for dinner I decided to sit with Luna as I hadn't talked to her much. I'd been hanging out with the trio (Harry, Ron and Hermione) and Mary and Vic for the last two days.

"Hey Ginny" she said, with a smile.  
>"Hey, how are you? Feels like we haven't talked in ages"<br>"I'm... Fine" she sighed, whilst her eyes told me that she was quite the opposite of fine.

Luna has amazing eyes, but they give her away everytime. She can practically tell her whole life story with them.

"What's wrong? Is it Alice and Zarina again?" I questioned  
>She nodded.<br>"God, I am going to slap Alice in the head. Zarina is a little idiot. She's only going along with it to stay "popular". Don't even worry about them, they're losers."  
>"I know I shouldn't let them get to me but... I mean, I know I'm weird and everything and I don't make any attempt to hide it... Does that mean I'm asking for it? Should I just... I dunno... Act normal?"<br>"You ARE normal! You're more normal than they are! You're yourself and that's what's normal for you. Never change who you are because you think that a couple of fake bitches might like you better. That's silly and you know it. You're an amazing person. You're beautiful and unique. Both of those girls know that. Alice is just... Plain and we all know Zarina goes along with whatever she says. I'm serious, they're not worth getting upset over. They're both jealous."  
>"You know what, Ginny? You're brilliant. You really are, i've never had anyway who's stood by me like this. EVeryone usually just gives up, I'm not exactly the easiest person to be friends with.."<br>"I wouldn't rather be friends with anyone else! We'll always stick up for each other, yeah?"  
>"Yeah, Ginny. Best friends forever."<br>"That sounds exactly right."

Now that Luna was feeling okay again we chatted about... Well, everything really. We have transiguration and DADA together, so we were talking about McGonnagals most recent homework.

"I can't believe she wants 2 rolls of parchment on levitation!" I exclaimed.  
>"I know, this is so unfair! How are we suppose to get three rolls of parchment out of a concept so simple?"<br>"No idea, but if anyone can do it, you can."  
>"I can try" she sighed, "Shall we spend tomorrow lunchtime in the library working on it?"<br>"Sounds like a plan."

Luna is great for motivation. She actually makes doing homework fun... Occasionally. Though I doubt anything could make this essay fun. Luna and I make a great team though and it's never one of us doing all the work and the other copyiny, things are always equal between us. That goes for everything, not just homework.

Dinner past quickly with Luna to distract me and before I knew it I was walking the grounds of Hogwarts hand-in-hand with the only boy who made me feel truly magical.

We stopped walking and he turned to me.  
>"Gin, you know I really like you..." He said, confident as ever.<br>I didn't reply, because it wasn't a question.  
>"And... Well..." He was sounding a lot less confident now.<br>I knew where this was going so I decided to help him get to the point.  
>"Are we suppose to be together now... Or something?" I asked,<br>"Depends on what you want" he replied, his eager eyes fixed upon mine.  
>"You know what I want"<br>"I want the same thing..."  
>"Well... I guess that's settled then?"<br>"Yeah, I guess it is" a smug little grin appeared on his face and it didn't dissapear for a long time afterwards.

We continued walking without a word. It was one of the few times i'd been perfectly content with silence. Being with him was comfortable and natural as breathing. There was no where I would rather be than by his side. That was when I realised I was in love with him. 


	7. Like a Sister

Now that things between Theo and I were "official" we spent a lot more time together publicly. It was weird the way people reacted. I could tell that his friends didn't like it much. I was a Gryffindor and he was a Slytherin. To some people, that just wasn't right... Not that I cared. His friends also must have hated the way we spent the majority of our time together, neither of us had much time for anything except each other.

My friends were supportive. Vic and Mary let out squeals of delight when I first told them we were dating. Luna was happy for me and was supportive of most of my decisions... But I still feel like I'm neglecting her. We'd barely talked since our trip to the library the other day. I felt so bad.

It was the weekend, I had woken up too early but I made my way down to the great hall anyway.

"Gin!" Called Theo, his eyes lighting up and a smile stretching across his face.  
>"Hey baby" I answered him.<br>"Are we eating together?"  
>"Well... I was going to spend some time with Luna today... Is that okay?"<p>

His face fell for a moment and his eyes no longer sparkled.

Then he said, "Of course it is! I'm not going to stop you seeing your friends" and he forced a smile, but the sparkle did not return to his eyes.  
>I gave him a swift kiss on the lips and wandered off toward the Ravenclaws.<p>

I felt bad for ditching him because I did say we'd spend the weekend together, but friends are important too. Plus, after a whole week of spending all of my time with Theo (not that I was complaining, there's nothing I like more than spending time with him), I needed some girl time.

"Hey Luna!" I smiled at her and felt the familiar relief of her prescence wash over me. She was such a calming person.  
>"Ginny! How are you?"<br>"I'm great, what about you? What are you up to today?"  
>"I'm fine. Not doing anything really."<br>"Brilliant, do you want to go flying later or something?"  
>"What about Theo?" she asked,<br>"I decided I'd let him hang out with some of his friends today because you and I haven't hung out properly in ages!"  
>"Aw, Ginny. I miss you when you're not around, you know?"<br>"I miss you too Luna. Sorry if i've been neglecting you a bit lately, I've just had a lot on my plate"  
>"It's okay, how about we go for a walk after breakfast and then get our brooms?"<br>"Best thing I've heard all day".

We finished our breakfast without much more talk. We walked the grouds for about half an hour and spent the rest of the day talking, eating and flying. Being with Luna was the best thing. Everything about her is wonderful. She's such a pure person, not at all fake like so many other girls I know. Even Vic and Mary, up to a point.

I saw Theo in the Great Hall at dinner and promised him that I would spend Sunday with him. It had been a long day and I was pretty tired so I ate hurriedly and walked back up to the common room with Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"So, I've seen you with that Theodore Nott kid a lot lately" Said Hermione, almost accusingly.  
>"Nott? That Slytherin bloke on your year?" Ron asked me<br>"Yeah, that's the one" I replied.  
>"You're not..?"<br>"Not what, Ronald?"  
>"I mean... You two aren't... Together or anything?"<br>"Why would it be any of your busy if we were?"  
>"Uh, because I'm your brother! He's in SLYTHERIN Ginny! Don't you think that says enough about his personality?"<br>"God, Ron you're so stereotypical! You don't know ANYTHING about him!" I snapped.  
>"Ginny does have a bit of a point... You've never even spoken to the kid..." said Harry unexpectedly<br>"Thank you Harry" I replied, though I did feel my stomach drop a little but I dismissed it as force of habit because I'd liked Harry for so long before Theo.  
>"A Point? You don't think that maybe I should have spoken to him before he just decided that he'd date MY sister?" shouted Ron.<br>"He didn't "just decide", it was a mutual decision thank you very much!" I snapped back  
>"Calm down, everybody!" Hermione came to the rescue, as she often did when Ron and I fought. "You're sounding a little sexist, Ron... Besides, you don't choose who Ginny dates. And Ginny, how about you just introduce Theo to Ron? And Fed, George and Percy too?"<br>"I'm not introducing my boyfriend to those gits, can you imagine Fred and George?" Ron flinched when I said the word "boyfriend".

Ron walked off up to the boys dormitory, Hermione went up after him. There was something between those two... I knew there was. The way they looked at each other sometimes.

Anyway, I was left alone in the common room with Harry as know one else had come up from dinner yet.

"You know, Ron's only being protective" he said, reasonably.  
>I was beyond reason by this point so I responded, "You mean he's being a sexist git?"<br>"I know where he's coming from, I feel the same way..."  
>"You do...?" He had surprised me with that comment could this mean that he's... Jealous? I thought.<br>"You're like a sister to me Gin. I hate seeing you dating guys, especially Slytherins."

Like a sister. I felt my stomach drop. A sister? That's not cool. But... Why did I care? I was Theo now... I didn't like Harry anymore... Did I?

I sighed and replied, "Thanks Harry, I think I'm just going to go to bed" and I left for my dormitory to think.

I lay in bed, wide awake because it was still so early. It was true that I loved Theo. He was everything to me. But... It was also true that I still thought about Harry a lot. I didn't think it was in the same way though when he said I was like his sister... I just felt horrible. I don't know why. I was awake for a long time after that, worrying.

I couldn't possibly still like Harry Potter... Could I? I mean... Theo's perfect for me. Everything about him is perfect. But after tonight how am I supposed to know what to think? I was so confused.


	8. Fate's Decision

Over the next few weeks it felt like I was fighting a raging battle inside my heart. On the one side, there was what I felt for Harry and the other side was my feelings for Theo. It's a horrid feeling to be kissing your boyfriend and suddenly find yourself craving anothers' lips.

I tried to ignore my feelings for Harry as best I could but now that I didn't feel shy to him anymore I found myself going out of my way just to be around him. I would always eat with Ron, Hermione and Harry now and I would always sit with them in the common room. I barely saw Mary and Vic outside of class, though I always had time for Luna.

In fact, Luna had been one of few comforts lately. I tell her everything. 

"Luna, what the hell am I going to do?" I asked her, out of desperation  
>"Let things take their natural course, if it's meant to be then it will all work out" she replied<br>"Why the hell can't I just decide, Harry or Theo... It should be simple"  
>"No, not really. I mean, you liked Harry for more than a year, he amazes you in every way. But Theo's perfect for you, so you say. It's because of Theo that you now can spend proper time with Harry, maybe that's a good thing... Or maybe not. But Ginny, it's all up to fate to decide. When the time comes that you have to make a decision, just do what you think feels right, go with your heart."<p>

It was brilliant advice, really... I just had no idea how to follow. I'm not the type to just sit back and "let things take their natural course". I couldn't decide whether it was a good or bad thing to be spending proper time with Harry. Sure, I enjoyed it... But that didn't make it right. If it's up to fate to decide then why is it me having to make all the decisions. I was so confused.

Every night I tossed and turned in my sleep. Dreaming about Theo, about Harry and once I dreamed about them both... It was more of a nightmare really. Seeing them fighting was horrible.

I knew I had to make a decision sooner or later... I didn't want to lead Theo on, but I didn't want to crush his heart either. I thought of putting it to him as a "break" from each other... But no matter how you put I still might end up with no second chance. I though about this for about a week before I decided I had to do something.

It was like Luna said, "it's all up to fate to decide". If I take a "break" from Theo and he never speaks to me again well, then I'll know what fate has decided, or if I realise I do truly love him and he welcomes me back with open arms then we can all live happily ever after.

There was one problem with this... I still heard Harry's voice ringing in my ears "like a sister"... Someone who thinks of me as a sister would never date me. I mean, I would never date anyone I thought of as a brother. I didn't know what to do. I needed time to think, time away from Theo.

I had no idea how to tell him. None what so ever. I couldn't bear to upset him. I knew I loved him, but in what way? Was I supposed to be friends with Harry and in a relationship with Theo... Or the other way around? I decided I was just going to tell him the truth... Kind of.

"Hey I..."  
>"Gin!" he interrupted me<br>"Yeah?"  
>"Just happy to see you, is all" he leaned in to kiss me and I turned my head away, guiltily<br>"Listen... I... There's a lot going on at the moment and I think I need some space..." I felt like crying  
>"Space?" I'd never seen him look more confused<br>"I need time... Away... From you... It's not that I don't love you and I'm not breaking up with you I just think we need to spend some time apart for me to get my head around some stuff"  
>"I don't get it... Things are great? Or at least, they seemed to be... You know you can talk to me about anything, maybe I can help?"<br>"You can't... Theodore... Just leave it"  
>"You called me Theodore..." He was right, I did... I never called him Theodore anymore... But I did and I don't know what made me do it.<p>

I felt one single tear slide down my face, I couldn't bear to meet his eyes as I walked away. What was wrong with me? How could I hurt him like this? This was the first time in my life I truly felt like I was a horrible person.

I walked into the common room, totally forgetting that I'd been crying and probably looked a mess. I saw him there, I saw Harry... And I just ran into his arms. I don't know what made me do it, I just did. He held me there for a long time as I just sobbed uncontrollably. I felt warm, comfortable and safe.

"Shh..." he said, patting my back soothingly, stroking my hair

I dried my eyes and for the first time realised that we were the only ones in the common room. It must be late, I thought.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Harry asked  
>"Um... Just stuff with Theo" I replied, silent tears still running down my face<br>"Did he dump you?" I was surprised to see a flicker of anger in his eyes  
>"No, I kind of told him we needed a break... I think I upset him and... Oh, Harry I just don't know" I resumed my sobbing<br>"Shh... It's okay, deep breaths"  
>"I'm just so confused"<br>"What is it that's confusing you?"  
>"You"<p>

I don't know what made me say it, I didn't think... I didn't even realise the word came out of my mouth until it was much to late.

"Me? Ginny... I don't understand?"  
>"Just... You know I liked you! I think I made it pretty obvious..."<br>"You did? I always got the impression you found me weird... Or intimidating or something. You never talked to me until now"  
>"Because I liked you! Honestly, boys can be so stupid"<br>"Hang on, you say boys are stupid, but what kind of person acts scared of someone they're suppose to have feelings for?"  
>"I don't know... Me, I guess"<br>"Oh, Ginny"

What happened next was unexplainable... Almost unforgiveable... Harry's faced was suddenly a lot closer to mine, his breath was a lot warmer. He leaned in and he kissed me.

It was like nothing I'd ever felt. It was soft, almost teasing. He pulled away much to quickly and locked his bright green eyes onto my deep brown ones. I was stunned.

Then he asked me,  
>"Can you please do me a favour?"<br>I looked at him quizically, still too stunned to form words.  
>"Please, don't go back to Theo... You're... Much too good for him"<p>

I didn't know what to say. I felt like he knew something I didn't. Like there was some sort of hidden meanign in his words. I nodded to him, having made my decision. He released me from his arms and I made my way up to the girls dormitory.

I lay in bed and suddenly it hit me. Harry James Potter kissed me today. I couldn't help but smile. It was what fate had decided.


	9. Something's Perfect

From that moment onward I knew I loved Harry, more than ever. From the second his lips touched mine everything became clear and astoundingly obvious. It felt so good to finally be sure of my true feelings, but there was still a major problem... Theo.

I could barely talk to Theo but I felt as if I couldn't take the guilt any longer. I became closer to Hermione over those few days because she was always ready to help out.

"You have to tell him Ginny, I'm always here if you need help... But you have to tell him"  
>"I know, but how? How am I suppose to tell him?"<br>"It's not like you committed a crime here! People fall in and out of love every single day"

She was right, but I didn't care. It felt as I had led him on, even though at the time what I felt was real. I know that things change and I think that from a different perspective things would be different... But everytime I saw his face I just wanted to cry. I couldn't bare to hurt him. I loved him... Not in the same way, it's true... but he means a lot to me.

There was A LOT of crying that week. A lot of crying and a lot of stressing. Harry was supportive but he didn't quite know how to deal with the situation. He handled me brilliantly though. He would hold me when I cried and listen to me rant and brainstorm ideas of how to tell him without hurting him. He was being perfect, which made me feel even guiltier. I didn't deserve this. 

I could no longer concentrate on anything but Harry and Theo. All through class I would sit and think of the way Harry's lips feel pressed against mine and the way his hands feel when they touch my skin. Then I'd be with Harry, experiencing these things and I'd think of Theo and have another horrible wave of guilt rush over me.

It felt like there was nothing I could do. Like I was trapped. I wanted so bad for everything to just be okay. I don't think I could stand it if Theo dissapeared from my life completely but there's no way I could think of him like that anymore.

What was I going to say? Or do? I told him that I wasn't breaking up with him and now I am... I think. I mean, I want to be with Harry and it's not like I can be with them both at the same time... I needed to talk to Luna.

I made my way down to the Great Hall and found her at her usual spot at the Ravenclaw table.

"Luna, help!" I whined at her  
>She laughed, then seeing the look on my face, turned serious again<br>"Is this about Harry and Theo again?"  
>She knew all about what had happened between Harry and I<br>"Yes! How am I suppose to break up with Theo? I hate seeing him hurt and I have a feeling this is going to crush him"  
>"You just have to tell him, be as nice about it as you can. Don't do any of that practising in front of the mirror rubish, just say what you feel"<br>"I love you Luna Lovegood" I said in gratitude  
>"I meant say what you feel about him, to him!" She joked, we both laughed. <p>

I knew I would have to face him, I decided sooner rather than later. I walked straight up to the Slytherin table and said "Hey, Theo... Can we talk?"  
>"Yes, we sure do have a lot to talk about"<br>"Yeah, I'm sorry that I haven't been around much lately"  
>"I understand..."<br>"You do?" I was confused, this was the last thing i'd been expecting  
>"Harry had a bit of a talk to me yesterday" Uh oh... This could be bad, really bad<br>"Oh..." was all I managed to say  
>"He told me a few things... That well... That made me realise that I've been selfish. He deserves you, Gin. You deserve him. I never meant to fall for you anyway. You seemed like a cool chick, in all honesty I had no idea we'd end up together... And... Don't take this the wrong way but I think being "together" has been our biggest mistake. We're perfect for each other, Ginny... But not like that, we're perfect friends. Best friends."<br>"Theo... That's... Wow, that's exactly how I feel! I was so scared I was going to break your heart I didn't want to hurt, I really didn't. I love you, as a friend."  
>"Harry really likes you, you know. The way he talks about you... Makes me think that maybe I should have a talk to Ron" Yet again, he had confused me<br>"Ron?"  
>"You know Ron would NEVER let his best mate date his little sister, right?" I hadn't given any thought to Ron's reaction... I'd only thought about Theo's...<br>"I didn't think about that..."  
>"You know, if Hermione and I talked to him I'm sure we could bring him round. Make him see that if you should have permission to date anyone then it should be Harry"<br>"I don't need permission to date anyone, thank you very much!" I snapped at him, unintentionally losing my temper  
>"I know that, but Ron doesn't quite see it that way does he?"<br>That made sense.  
>"Well, you can try. Theo you really are the perfect best friend. Between you and Luna, I could never have better friends"<br>"Thanks, Gin. I'm just glad we got things sorted."

We hugged and then he left the Great Hall.

Everything worked out between Theo and I more perfectly than I could have ever imagined. Now that we're friends, I can still hang out with him, I can still make him happy and share secrets with him. I never wanted to sever ties with him, I just couldn't see him in that way...

I ate hurriedly and raced back to the common room. I walked over to Ron and Hermione and I asked, "Where's Harry?"  
>"Quidditch Pitch" Said Ron, who was obviously utterly distracted by Hermione, who looked as if she was correcting (or writing) another one of his essays.<br>"Why? Quidditch practice is Mondays and Thursdays?"  
>"I dunno, I guess he just went for a fly... Bugger off will you?" he gave me a look that told me all I needed to know. Ron has a crush. I would talk to Hermione later about this.<br>"Fine, I'm going!"

I raced down to the Quidditch pitch, stopping to get my broom because I knew he'd be in the air.

Sure enough, as I walked out onto the neatly trimmed grass I saw him, 100 feet above me. I mounted my broom and reached him within a minute.

"Ginny?" He called to me  
>"Let's talk?" I said to him <p>

We raced each other back to the ground and dismounted our broomsticks.

"Is something wrong?"  
>"No, something's right Harry. Somethings perfect. I've sorted things with Theo, he and Hermione are sorting things with Ron"<br>"He's a good kid, Theo"  
>"He really is, I never imagined... Harry?"<br>"Yeah?"  
>"You didn't tell me you talked to Theo?"<br>"Well... I didn't really have the time"  
>"You could have told me before you talked to him?"<br>"I've... Uh, actually been talking to him for awhile. Well, technically he's been talking to me. He knew how confused you were about what was going on and he knew that you guys would be so much better as friends. He said he wanted to make sure I was... Okay for you, I guess... That I would treat you right and all. He cares about you, Gin and he know's how much I care about you,."  
>He kissed me.<br>"So, everythings perfect now?"  
>"I love you Ginevra Molly Weasley"<br>"I love you too Harry James Potter"

We spent the rest of the afternoon flying, walking, talking... And kissing... There was a lot of kissing. It was so good to have another one of my dreams come true. Everything was falling into place.

But there was still the problem of Ron... It's not like I cared what he thought. But Harry did. Harry and Ron have been best mates since their first year. If it wasn't for Ron I never would have met Harry in the first place. If Hermione and Theo can't convince him... Then I'll have to. Somehow. 


End file.

Harry Potter, Family, Romance